


No one else

by mfingenius



Series: Courting Traditions [4]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Auguste (Captive Prince) Lives, Don't copy to another site, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:40:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22591915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mfingenius/pseuds/mfingenius
Summary: Damen finally visits Arles again. He finds out Torveld has been trying to court Laurent.
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Series: Courting Traditions [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1397506
Comments: 26
Kudos: 368





	No one else

It’s too long before they see each other again. They write to each other tirelessly, to the point where Damen knows Laurent’s handwriting better than he remembers his voice. By the time Damen finally finds an excuse to visit Arles, Laurent is about to turn nineteen. He doesn’t meet him at the docks, this time, because Damen didn’t tell him he was coming; he only told Auguste, who agreed to keep it a secret for Laurent’s birthday.

“Old friend,” Auguste claps him on the back when they meet each other at the entrance of the palace. “It’s good to see you again. It’s been too long.”

“It has,” Damen says. “How is everything here?”

Auguste smiles. “Better whenever you write. Laurent’s been in such a foul mood that he’s been terrorizing courtiers everywhere.”

“I’m sure they deserve it,” Damen laughs. 

“Oh, they do.” Auguste confirms. “It’s amusing to watch.”

Damen smiles, and can't keep himself back any longer. “Where is he? Can I see him? Is he alright?”

Auguste rolls his eyes, but lets him through the door. “You’re almost as bad as Laurent. Come on. I’ll show you to his rooms.”

Damen thinks he remembers the way, and wishes he could run, because Auguste is taking his time, but, out of politeness, he doesn’t. He even tries to feign interest in whatever it is Auguste is saying.

“You’re not listening to a word I’m saying, are you?” Auguste asks, when they’re almost at Laurent’s rooms.

“I promise I’ll be a much better friend tomorrow,” Damen tells him.

Auguste laughs. “I don’t doubt it. Come on.”

He opens the door to Laurent’s rooms; Laurent is in his bed, nose buried in a book, and he doesn’t bother looking up when he hears the doors open.

“Lazar I swear to all  gods that if you tell me Bisset is here again, I will castrate him.” He says.

“Not Bisset.” Damen says, goofy grin on his face since the moment he’d lain eyes on his love.

Laurent’s head snaps up so fast he looks a little dizzy with it.

“Damen!” And then he’s throwing himself at him, jumping straight from the bed. If Damen were any weaker, he’d drop him only out of surprise, but he’s missed him so much and had almost expected this reaction, so he wraps his arms around Laurent and squeezes him closer until Laurent lets out a small huff of pain.

“Are you alright?” Damen asks, putting him down on the floor. “How have you been? I know it’s been a long time, but-”

Laurent presses a kiss to his lips. Auguste makes a face, but Damen doesn’t see him, merely kisses Laurent back.

“I missed you,” Laurent breathes, when they pull away.

“I’ve missed you, too, sweetheart.” Damen says. He cups Laurent’s cheek. “I was terrified I’d forget what you look like.”

“You wouldn’t,” Laurent says, leaning into Damen’s touch almost  unnoticeably .

“I couldn’t,” Damen agrees. “Even if I wanted to.”

He never wants to.

“I couldn’t, either,” Laurent murmurs, in a strange moment of honesty. 

And Damen loves him, more than anyone else he has before.

The kiss is too short for his tastes – after this long without seeing Laurent, he’d be perfectly happy burying himself in him, uncaring of the world or what goes on around them as long as they stay together – but Auguste clears his throat, so Damen pulls away,  embarrassed .

“We’ll have a welcome feast tonight,” He informs, eyes shining brightly in contrast to his serious tone. “Until then, I’m sure you two can find something to do.”

And he turns around, leaving them alone.

*

“Had fun?” Auguste is definitely amused as he gives them a dry once-over. Damen is aware of how they look; Laurent’s face ever the picture of perfect coldness, but his hair is mussed and his clothes are in disarray; Damen, red, shifting and uncomfortable beside him.

“Be proper,” Laurent tells his brother with an eyeroll, but his cheeks redden. Auguste snickers. “It is beneath you to gossip.”

“Whatever you say, brother.” Auguste cannot keep the smile off his face. “ Torveld has been inquiring where you were all night.”

“Torveld?” Damen asks, a hint of jealousy at his tone.

“He’s a  Patran prince,” Laurent tells him.

“He’s been courting Laurent,” Auguste chimes in, and Damen’s eyes immediately snap towards him.

“ _ What _ ?” He asks. “You didn’t think to mention  _ this _ in your letters?”

“It’s hardly a courtship.” Laurent rolls his eyes. “He knows I’m with you. I’ve told him, and I’ve been returning all of his gifts.”

“Gift _ s _ ?” Generally, if someone sent a courting gift, and it was returned, it was accepted as a rejection of the courtship and only polite to let it go. Insisting was generally frowned upon.

“He’s been... insistent.” Laurent says, hesitating a moment. “It’s alright. You’re here now.”

“Who is he?” Damen asks.

“No one,” Laurent insists, but Auguste is helpful enough to point him out.  Torveld of Patras, walking towards them.

“Prince  Damianos ,”  Torveld bows his head. “It’s good to finally meet you.” He eyes Damen’s hand around Laurent’s waist, and Damen tightens his hand on Laurent’s hip. Laurent smirks lightly. “It’s true, then, your courtship? If I’m honest, I thought Laurent might be making it up to avoid spending time with me.”

“If he were, it would be good to have left him alone,” Damen tells him drily, and  Torveld laughs as though it’s a joke.

“I’m sorry, then,” he says, and he apologizes to Damen, not to Laurent. “I hope it does not cause problems.”

“Of course not,” Damen forces a smile. “Now, if you’ll excuse us.”

And he grabs Laurent’s arm, pulling him away from  Torveld and towards the balcony.

“Where are we going?” Laurent asks, smile on his face.

“Here,” Damen responds, as they cross the doorway. “I’ve missed you too much to share you with anyone else right now. I’m sorry if that’s selfish of me.”

Laurent smiles. “It’s not.” He says. “I’ve missed you too much, too.”

“Won’t be as long, next time.” Damen vows. “I love you, Laurent.”

Laurent’s eyes soften. “I love you, too, Damen.”

Damen presses a deep, sweet kiss to his lips, before pulling away lightly. “Marry me, Laurent.”

Laurent’s eyes are on his, bright and shining under the glittering moonlight.

“What?”

“Marry me,” Damen repeats. “Marry me, Laurent. Be my consort, my partner, my King. I’ll love you forever, even if you don’t. There’s no one else for me.”

“There’s no one else for me, either,” Laurent says, and he kisses him again, and again, until time stops and there’s nothing there but them, together.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this babes!! Find me on tumblr @mfingenius :D


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